Fat Girls Dance - by Cathleen Meredith (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Liv. Reese. Faith. Yes, they are plus-size, curvy, thick, whatever. Point is, they are past sick of society's relentless body-shaming defining them. Liv slays in dance classes, where she shakes off her frustrations as a struggling writer. Introverted Reese avoids "taking up too much space" by staying in the background as Liv's sidekick. And while diva-cold professional dancer Faith aces countless auditions, she's "too big" for starring roles. At the end of their respective ropes, all it takes is one more insult... for Liv to suddenly have an idea that will unite them all. It's a shake-it-up, zero Fs challenge in which women like her will choreograph and perform a demanding new dance every week. For a year. Online. And just like that... after a boatload of hard work, FatGirlsDance becomes an Internet phenomenon, racking up thousands of followers, clicks--and controversy. More important, FGD creates a precious space for community. And it gives the three ladies an impossible shot: a major competition featuring the world's best dancers. Yet while Liv is determined to prove FGD can go from amazing to outstanding, Faith thinks they're reaching too high, and Reese is caught in the middle. As the grueling practices and new goals start taking a toll, the trio soon finds their friendship stretched to the breaking point. With their biggest test ahead of them as their drama spins out of control, can these gutsy women pull it together to remake their futures--and become the women they were meant to be?"-- Inside jacket flap.

Book Synopsis

Playwright, podcaster, and pioneering body positivity influencer Cathleen Meredith takes the viral dance phenomenon from the internet to bookshelves with FatGirlsDance, the hilarious, irreverent, and poignant fictionalized story of how three fat girls accidentally started the "Year of Dance."

Liv. Reese. Faith. Yes, they are plus-size, curvy, thick, whatever. Point is, they are past sick of society's relentless body-shaming defining them. Liv slays in dance classes, where she shakes off her frustrations as a struggling writer. Introverted Reese avoids "taking up too much space" by staying in the background as Liv's wing woman. And while diva-cold professional dancer Faith aces countless auditions, she's "too big" for starring roles. At the end of their respective ropes, all it takes is one more insult . . . for Liv to suddenly have an idea that will unite them all . . .

It's a shake-it-up, zero Fs challenge in which women like her will choreograph and perform a demanding new dance every week. For a year. Online. And just like that . . . after a boatload of hard work, FatGirlsDance becomes an Internet phenomenon, racking up thousands of followers, clicks--and controversy. More important, FGD creates a precious space for community. And it gives the three ladies an impossible shot: a major competition featuring the world's best dancers . . .

Yet while Liv is determined to prove FGD can go from amazing to outstanding, Faith thinks they're reaching too high, and Reese is caught in the middle. As the grueling practices and new goals start taking a toll, the trio soon finds their friendship stretched to the breaking point. With their biggest test ahead of them as their drama spins out of control, can these gutsy women pull it together to remake their futures--and become the women they were meant to be?

Review Quotes

Praise for Fat Girls Dance

"Fat Girls Dance is a fun, fast-paced, feel-good story. Meredith takes readers on an original ride, and we all feel a part of the sisterhood. The ladies show us what true winners look like." --Phyllis R. Dixon, Author of Intermission and A Taste for More

"A laugh-out-loud, witty and fun read. This uplifting story of sisterhood will have you cheering, giving zero-Fs and dancing while reading!" --Monica Garner, Author of Summer on Cape May

About the Author

Cathleen Meredith was a writer, influencer, podcaster, public speaker, positivity ignitor, and founder of FATGIRLSDANCE(TM) (fatgirlsdance.com), "A Worldwide Movement Bent on Trashing Body Image Stereotypes through the Universal Language of DANCE." Launched to viral success in 2016, Cathleen and her movement were the subject of a short film created by Dove Real Beauty Productions and Shonda Rhimes, and featured on NBC Today, The Real TV Daytime show, Essence, Healthline, HelloGiggles, MicMedia, Vogue Italia and more. A prolific writer, she was the author of The Truth About Eve and Other Excuses for Neurotic Behavior in Your 20s and the posthumously published novel Fat Girls Dance, as well as plays including Aunts, Forgotten, The Infinites, and The Groomsman. She was the CEO and founder of CM Creative Labs, and throughout her career developed several free performing arts programs, such as Harlem's first teen Shakespeare Festival in partnership with Classic Theatre of Harlem. Originally from Sacramento, California, she lived with her fiancée in New York City until her untimely death in February 2024.